Loose-leaf binder.



No. 682,339. Patented Sept. I0, I'QUI.

A. OPALLA.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

(Application filed Sept. 17, IQQOA) 3 Shams-Sheetl l.

mi scams PETERS co, PHOTO-urna. wAsNlNnTou, u. c.

No. 682,339. Patented sept. lo, |901. A. oPALLA.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

(Application filed Sept. 17, 1900.) um Mudgl.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

with 6,5365? I 25a/en for.

Patented Sept.|0, |9Dl. A. UPALLA.

LUDSE LEAF BINDER.

(Applicat 3 Sheets-'Shed 3.

(N0 Model.)

' TTTcn.

UNiTnn STATES FATnnTT ARTHUR OPALLA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO OPALLA STRUBEN MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

LoosetLEAF BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent N o. 682,339, dated September 10, 1901. Application filed September 17, 1900. Serial No. 30,300. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.: iiange 9 is bent over at its inner end to form Be it known that I, ARTHUR OPALLA, a citia guide 11 and lies parallel and in contact zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, with the flange 4 of the member 2. The memin the county of Cook and State of Illinois, ber 7lies upon the member l and extends into 5 have invented c ertain new and useful Imthe guide 5 thereof. The iiange 10 of said provements in Loose-Leaf Binders; and I do member 7 is of greater width than said memhereby declare the following to beafull, clear, ber, thus leaving an extended tongue 12, and exact description of the invention, such which is bent at a right angle to said iiange as will enable others skilledin the art towhich and flush with and at a right angle to the 6c to it appertains to make and use the same. outer long edge of said member 7, and is then My invent-ion relates to a novel construcbent inwardly on a curve to form a guide 13 tion in an adjustable book-back or lose-leaf of peculiar shape. The memberSis provided binder, the object being to provide a device with flanges 14 and 15, corresponding to the 'of this character which can readily be adjustflanges 9 and lO of the member 7 and fitting 65 i ed to suit leaves of various lengths and also telescopically within the latter. The said to contain more or less leaves between its covmember S lies upon the member 2 and enters ers; and it consistsin the features of constructhe guide 6 at its free end. By means of their tion and combinations of parts hereinafter engagement with each other and with said fully described and claimed. l guides 5 and 6 said members 7 and Sare held 7o 2o In the accompanying drawings,illustrating 4against relative longitudinal movement, but myinvention, Figure 1 isa cross-section of a are free to move away from or toward each binder provided with a back made in accordother. The said members 8 are each provided `ance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is asection on with a longitudinal slot 16, adapted to receive line 2 2 of Fig. 1, with the leaves removed. lugs 17011 nuts 18, entered byscrews 19 pass- 75 Fig. 3 is section on line 3 23 of Fig 2. Fig. 4is a ing through said openings in said members 2. section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. -5 is a detail Said nuts and screws form clamps whereby elevation ofaclamping-screw and knob. Fig. the members S are clamped rigid with said `6 is a section on line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a member2, therebyholding the former against longitudinal section of a modified construci longitudinal movement. The flange4of said 8o 3e tion of back. Figs. 8 and 9 are sections on member 2 carries a projection 20, provided I lines 8 8 and 9 9, respectively, of Fig. '7. Fig. i withascrew-threaded opening,which receives 10 is a perspective view of the six-member the end of a bolt 21, revolublymounted in the back of slightly-moditied form, showing the member 1 and by means of which said memlmembers in position to be slid together. bers l and 2 are held against relative 1ongi- 85 My device consists of a plurality of intertndinal movement and are moved toward fitting and relatively adjustable members so each other. connected as to permit the device to be eX- The members S are each provided with a tended in length and depth. The said mempocket 22 to receive a spring 23, bearing at bers comprise two principal members 1 and its ends against the members 7 and S, re- 9o o 2, both l.shaped and having two of their spectively, and holding same normallyat the flanges 8 and4overlapping, thereby together outer limits of their movement. Thus by forming a channel adjustable in width. The turning the bolt 2l in one direction the memother flanges of said members 1 and 2 are bers l and 2 and 7 and S would move toward bent over on their free ends to form guides 5 each other against the action of said springs, 95 and 6. The said members l and 2 are conand by turning same in the other direction nected together by means of two pairs of end the springs would force them apart. members 7 and 8, as follows: Said end mem- The flanges 5 and 6 do not extend the enbers 7consist of a plate provided with a flange tire length of the members l and 2, but are 9 on one of its long edges and with a flange cut away at their ends to accommodate the roo 5o 10 on one of its short edges, said anges eX- guides 13. If desired, tubes 24 may be mounttending at right angles to each other. Said ed on the guides 6 and pins 25 on the guides 5, forming telescopic posts to enter perforations in the sheets. n

The members l and 2 are not -movable longitudinally with relation to each other, but only vertically, and each pair of members 7 and 8 are movable longitudinally with relation to the members l and 2, but only vertically with relation to each other.

The object of making a ledger-back adjustable in both directions is not to enable the consumer to adj ust it, but mainly to save the manufacturer the expense of making a large number of sets of dies, as ordinarily a complete set would be required for each size of back. Thus if a manufacturer receives an order for a back ten inches long and two inches deep and another for a back twelve inches long and three inches deep he has only to cut the members l and 2 to proper length for each border, lit the end members thereto, and then adjust the end members for the desired depth. The consumer is supposed to only and seldom does require more than that the depth be adjustable, as will be obvious, as if he were to adjust the length the sheets would not iit. However, should the consumer desire to extend the length of the back to accommodate large sheets he can do so. In dotted lilies, Figs. 2 and 3, I have shown my device extended in both directions, and forpurposes of illustration the members l and 2 are shown to be of same length, as shown in full lines. The covers 26 and 27 are removably mounted on said back in the following manner: Said covers each consist of two parts hinged together, one part being a narrow strip of about the same width as the members l and 2. Rigidly secured to each of said narrow strips are two sheet-metal plates 28, provided on three ot their edges with narrow iianges 29 and 30, the distance between the edges of the anges 29 being slightly less than the width of the members l and 2, so that they can be sprung over the latter, a small bend or shoulder 3l being provided on the members l and 2 where same are bent to form the flanges 3 and 4. The lianges 30 are adapted to engage the ends of the members l and 2 to prevent the covers from sliding oit. Tongues 32 are provided on said lianges 29, engaging the t'ront edges of the members l and 2, which may be engaged by the thumbs to remove said covers from the back.

In Figs. 7, S, and 9 I have shown a modilied form ot my back, consisting of four box-corners 33, 34, 35, and 36, telescopieally fitted together by means of lia-nges forming guides 37, 38, 39, and 40, so that they are telescopically movable relatively to each other and extensible in two directions. struction is employed, the back must be adj usted to size before mounting the sheetholding devices and covers. After the latter have been mounted the parts are adjustable Where this cononly vertically. The locking device 33 (shown in Fig. 10) is of a modified form; but as Ido not claim the same as my invention particular description of same is omitted. In Fig. 10 I have illustrated a slightly-modified form of the six-member binder in perspective, this binder being quite shallow and the guide 6 being cut away in its middleportion to make 'room for the locking device 33. The outer ends of said guides 6 are extended and project to the rear of said guides 13 when the members 8 and 9 are at their innermost positions. These modifications, however, are not essential to either the strength or working of the device, as the guides 6 are strong enough in either case. v

I claim as my inventionl. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination with two members relatively movable in one direction and provided with guides, ot a plurality of members movable in said guides and interfitting with each other, whereby said. binder is expansible in two directions, devices carried by said members for holding sheets, and means for removably mounting covers on said back.

2. In aloose-leat binder, the combination with four or more intertting members relatively telescopically movable to make said back expansible in two directions, ot' devices for locking said members against movement in one direction, and devices for adjusting same in the other direction comprisingsprings bearing at their ends against opposite memu bers, a bolt carried by one member and a nut carried by another member to receive said bolt, whereby by turning said bolt said members are forced toward or away from each other.

3. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination with a plurality of interitting members Inovable telescopicall y with relation to each other to expand or contract said back in two directions, of devices for locking said members against relative movement to expand or contract said back in one direction, springs interposed iu said back to normally expand said back in one direction, and devices engaging .two of said members for contracting said back in said direction against the action of said springs.

4. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination with a back comprising a plurality of interittin g members relatively telescopically movable to expand or contract said back in two directions, of removable covers on said back, and devices carried by said back for securing sheets therein.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

rARTHUR orALLA.

lVit-nesses:

E. F. WILsoN, ERwIN J. Lo'rz.

IOO

IIO 

